This document discusses the principles of simplicity and elegance in project management. It advocates adopting a simple finish-to-start approach to task dependencies rather than more complex combinations which can lead to chaos. It also discusses using hands-on touch time estimates for task durations and including buffers to account for uncertainty and variability, in order to manage the unknown factors that can influence future task durations. The overall message is that simplicity avoids over-complication and allows for better control of projects given the inherent uncertainties involved in planning future work.

1. SIMPLICITY
CARRIED TO AN EXTREME BECOMES
ELEGANCE Jon Franklin

2. EVERYTHING SHOULD BE MADE
AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE,
BUT NOT SIMPLER Albert Einstein
Exepron Cri$cal Chain Project Management
adopts the scientific approach of elegant simplicity.
Keep it simple.
Finish-to-Start Task dependency
Start-to-finish, partial finish-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-start or any other
combination looks sophisticated but this is a recipe for chaos and confusion.

3. Occam’s Razor: William of Occam
The principle states that one should not make more assumptions than the minimum needed
Occam's razor helps us to "shave off" those concepts, variables or constructs that are not really needed to explain the
phenomenon. By doing so, developing a model will become much easier, and there is less chance of introducing
inconsistencies, ambiguities and redundancies.
Tasks durations consisting of hands-on touch-time estimates.
Task Duration
Hands-on Touch-Time
Interference
Variation & Uncertainty
1287 – 1347
Start-to-finish, partial finish-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-start or any combination
looks sophisticated but it is a recipe for chaos and confusion.

4. Task Durations:
Finish-to-Start & Touch-Time
Combined with variation absorbing, tactical BUFFERS located within the project network.
Elements working together: making Uncertainty and Variability visible and predictable.
Simplicity avoids the chaos of over sophistication.

5. “Precision cannot be created where it cannot exist”
Project Management is the ability to manage Uncertainty and Variability.
Task durations are not precise, discrete or absolute, they are non-discreet numbers, continuous and measured.
Task durations are essentially a best guess at a future point in time of what might occur when executed.
Planning is a point in time, which could be 6 month or more ahead of the Tasks actual execution.
Sophistication does not mean
precision.
It probably means chaos and
confusion.
The more opportunity for permutations
means permutations will explode and
significantly reduce system
controllability.

6. Future conditions are unknown and non-discrete
The conditions at a future date, when the task duration will be subject to many influences:
Resource availably, Resource skill, Material delivery performance, Administrative capability, Weather, Vendor
availability, Customer approval, Government regulation, out come of Inspections, Material conditions, etc. etc. the
list is endless.
Again “Precision cannot be created where it cannot exist”.
Change is here to Stay

7. www.Exepron.com
Immunize your projects from
Uncertainty and Variability:
email: CustomerSupport@Exepron.com